The West Virginia Secretary of State’s Office Responds to Public Records Request by Presidential Advisory Commission

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - In a response to a public records request by the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, the Office of the West Virginia Secretary of State indicated to the Commission any request for information will only be granted to publicly available information. The Office said Tuesday that they are directed by State Code as to what voter data can and cannot be publicly disclosed.

“Protection of West Virginia elections data records is of paramount importance to eliminate improper distribution of West Virginians’ private information. State Code is very clear on the procedures and information that is to be retained as private and what is public,” Elections Director Donald Kersey said.

Kersey continued, “A request for voter registration information will be considered by submitting the required documentation and the fees associated with the list. We will not release personal information to the Presidential Commission, even upon request."

On Monday, July 3rd, the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity sent the Office of the Secretary of State a public records request for West Virginia voter information which includes more data than what is routinely released as a “public record."

WV State Code 3-2-30 allows anyone to request certain voter information, but they must first fill out a registration form and pay an administrative fee. This information may include name, address, party affiliation, status and registration date. Information prohibited from disclosure includes Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, phone numbers, and email addresses.

After consultation with the West Virginia Attorney General’s Office, on Tuesday the Office of the Secretary of State responded to the public records request with a notification to the Commission as to what information will be released upon the completion of the request form. The Commission has also been notified of the cost to purchase the list, which is $1,000 for a statewide file.